By Trying to find the right store-bought gift.
The month leading up to Christmas can be very stressful with everybody running around trying to find the perfect gift for their friends and family. The kids normally have a wish list a mile long but the adults have a different story. Usually, people tend to buy what they need as and when the necessity arises rather than listing them on a wish list. Also many of the useful things that people need are too expensive to give as a gift. That leaves small decorative items, gift cards and so forth. As people’s tastes are different, it can be extremely difficult to find something that really catches their interest. So, people end up spending money on gifts that are placed in a drawer or up in the attic.
Homemade and well made:
Many think of homemade products as very simple items. However, this is largely a myth. There are many different internet pages where one can find tons of inspirational pictures as well as step-by-step instructions. In addition most companies that sell art supplies also sell different educational crafts books, not to mention all the different craft magazines. So there is plenty of inspiration to find, the trick is to try it. The first time it is wise to follow the instructions to the letter. Then as one gets more comfortable with using different materials and techniques, it is time to start adding personal touches. However, even if one follows the instructions to the letter, it will be unique simply because it is handmade. If one spends the time and the effort, it will look beautiful and it will be special simply because of the time and effort that went into making it.
Art supplies are extremely expensive:
When starting from scratch, one has to invest in art supplies, but one investment will result in several products. One example is painting supplies. It is costly to buy different colors and paint brushes, but remember that these products can be used many times to create different gifts. Thus, if one do the math it is clear that the paint investment is smaller than it would cost to buy all the individual gifts.
In addition, there are many ways to further cut the costs. If one buys only the primary colors, then they can be mixed to create every other colorq needed. When it comes to stuff to decorate, there are many options. An art supplier will have plenty of different products, but those products are often expensive. In many cases there are perfectly good alternatives if one thinks outside of the box, using such places as thrift stores to buy cloths to decorate or sew together to make a quilt. Wineglasses, porcelain plates, cups and so forth can be painted or glued together to make new products.
Painting on glass.
Decorated glass is one of the best homemade gifts and also one of the easiest to make. Glass painting used to be only for professionals but the paints sold today can be hardened in a regular oven. Just 90 minutes in an oven, will harden the paint and even make it dishwasher safe. Patterns, words and symbols will make the glass beautiful. Even just painting the whole glass one color can be beautiful. In addition, glass products such as water glasses, wineglasses, and so forth are attractive gifts because they are useful. Although many crafts stores sell different glasses for decorating, it can be just as good to use an old jam jar, or buy cheap wineglasses from a thrift store. It doesn’t take much to make this gift beautiful and personalized. One trick is to write the name of the person receiving the gift on glass and perhaps add some positive, descriptive words? It is guaranteed that it will be treasured.
The author of this article is the Norwegian stay-at-home mom, Constance Hellas. This 36-year-old mother of 4 loves to use what little spare time she has making beaded jewellery and painting on glass. While it is a new hobby for her, she has already gotten requests from friends andfamily for specialized products. Both her glass and jewellery collection is growing, but she still has her work cut out to make sure that everybody gets a personalized gift under the Christmas tree this season.
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